Are 3D Printed Gun Parts Safe to Use?

As 3D-printed guns continue to be vilified in the nightly news cycle, many gun owners are wondering if 3D-printed gun parts are safe to use. This discussion has been coming ever since Gaston Glock’s “plastic gun” design started taking over the firearms industry. Now, almost every major manufacturer uses polymer materials in some components for their firearms. Additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, makes producing your parts at home cheaper and easier. When done properly, these parts can be just as safe to use in your custom firearm build as any other.

Legal 3D Printed Gun Parts

Before we take a look at safety, it’s important to acknowledge that a patchwork of state and federal regulations applies to 3D printing and firearms in the United States. Before you begin printing any parts, make sure you know the laws for the jurisdiction in which you live and will possess your gun in. The last thing you want to do is end up behind bars because you didn’t know that your state prohibits 3D printing of frames or other components on firearms. Know the law and understand what’s allowed and what isn’t. If you disagree with the law, it’s far easier to contact your congressman from home rather than inside a jail cell.

Plastic Gun Parts Basics

For hundreds of years, firearm parts had been made primarily of metal with wood, rubber, or plastic confined to the gripping or handling surfaces. After all, you’re talking about devices that are meant to contain and channel explosions to throw projectiles downrange–in your hands! Modern polymer manufacturing changed that by allowing for the economical production of resilient polymer parts with the consistent quality necessary for certain use cases. 

• Low-Stress – Very little of the gun’s volume is used to manage the explosive forces released when a striker hits a cartridge primer. The rest of the firearm comprises the bulk of the area for control surfaces, accessory attachment, or to control and guide the movement of cycling components. Many of these areas are under very little stress. 
• Moderate-Heat – They’re also not subject to high heat or big temperature swings under normal operating conditions. Sure, if you are blowing through mag-after-mag rapid fire, you could start to damage a heat shield, but the stock or grip may barely register a difference.

3D-printed gun parts are perfect for low-stress areas that only see moderate heat or temperature shifts. That means you won’t be seeing 3D-printed barrels anytime soon. You have already likely seen polymer frames, grips, triggers, and more.

But Are 3D-Printed Gun Parts Safe?

If you want to make sure your 3D-printed gun parts are safe, you need to make sure you’re doing a few things right:

• File or Template Selection – Your printer gets its build instructions from a file you either program yourself or download online. This file includes the CAD specifications that your printer translates into a plastic gun part during the additive manufacturing process. Make sure you’re getting your file from a reputable source, like Defense distributed or a similar Second Amendment file repository. This reduces the chance you’ll get a file for the wrong firearm or incompatible designs or tolerances.
• Filament Selection – The filament is a spool of raw material your printer will use to construct the gun component. FIlaments come in different materials, and not every printer can use every material. At a minimum, you want to use a PolyActic Acid filament (PLA). This is a good, general-purpose filament. For higher-temperature areas, a nylon filament is a better choice, but many lower-cost printers don’t reach a temperature that allows for fabrication with nylon.
• Component Location – Make sure you’re only using 3D-printed gun parts in appropriate areas of the firearm. A failure in a low-stress and low-heat area is inconvenient, but a part failure in a critical component responsible for managing high pressures and heat can be dangerous or fatal. 
• Quality Control – Check your work. Recheck it. Test it gently at the range, and then run your weapon through regular use. At each step along the way, inspect your 3D-printed gun parts for signs of wear or damage. Always err on the side of caution and replace parts if there’s any doubt about their condition or safety.

What About 3D-Printed Gun Frames?

This is one of the biggest questions we get, even from people willing to accept that smaller, individual 3D-printed parts are safe. In modern pistols, like those offered by Glock, the polymer frame is under very little stress, is not subjected to high heat, and does not require the management of high pressures under normal shooting situations. Unless there’s a problem with your printer or filament, printing the weapon’s frame is a viable path to making your own firearm in the comfort of your home. Once the raw, unfinished frame is printed, you’ll still need to drill the appropriate holes to secure other components and smooth the rough edges. You’ll also need an internal parts kit, barrel and slide assembly, and magazines. As long as you live in an area that allows homemade firearm production for personal use and you have the time to invest in its production, you can build a quality firearm without the hefty commercial price tag or intrusive paperwork.

Order Your Gun Parts Online

When you need gun parts and accessories you can count on that won’t break the bank, we’ve got you covered. Build a better gun for your shooting needs with parts from companies that support your rights. Order your 3D-printed gun finishing parts and accessories from JSD Supply.